Whiffletree attachment



(No Model.)

I. J. BLANKE. WHIFFLETREB ATTACHMENT.

Patented Jan. 19, 1892;

NITED STATES FERDINAND J. BLANKE, OF GOLD SPRING, IVISOONSIN.

WHlFFLETR EE ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,223, dated January 19, 1892. Application filed May 1, 1891. Serial No. 391,206 (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FERDINAND J. BLANKE, of Cold Spring, in the county of Jefferson and State of NVisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Whiffletree Attachments,of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a device to be applied to a wagon, a sleigh, or any vehicle or farm machine or implement or other movable thing to be hauled by a team or single animal, which device is used to connect the whiffletree or evener yieldingly to the vehicle or implement and is adapted to relieve the shock or strain on the team or animal occuring on starting or when the vehicle or machine being hauled strikes an obstruction, impeding temporarily its forward movement.

In the drawings my device is shown in connection with a fragment of a tongue of a vehicle, illustrating the manner in which it is used; but the device may be attached to any other vehicle or machine in a similar manner or by slight changes in the construction not affecting the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved device, shown in connection with a fragment of a vehicle tongue and evener. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of my device on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

A is afragment of a vehicle-tongue to which my device is permanently secured, and B is a fragment of an even or to which the team hauling the vehicle is connected, which evener is pivoted in my device.

The frame or case in which the movable parts of my device are supported is made in any suitable form, but advisedly consists of a plate 0 and a raised elongated case D, secured permanently to the plate 0, which case terminates at a distance from the front end of the plate. This frame is secured removably to the tongue by bolts E through the plate C and through the tongue.

The movable frame consists of a plate F, resting on the plate 0 and movable endwise thereon and in ways G, formed at the lower edge and in the sides of the case D, and a strap H, resting and movable endwise on the top of the case D, which strap and plate F are connected rigidly together by the bolts I, I, and I. The plate F and the strap 11 are provided with studs K K, respectively, which are located opposite to and project toward each other, on which the evener B is pivoted, the studs being sufficiently long to enter the evener a sufficient distance therefor from the bottom and the top,the bolt 1 passing through the studs and completing the pivotal connection of the evener in this movable frame.

- The connecting-bolts I and I" are located in front of the case D, and the bolt I, connecting the strap II with the plate F, passes through a slot Ltherefor in the case. Other slots M and M are provided in the plate G for the movement therein of the nuts turning on the bolts I, I, and I.

To hold the movable evener-carrying frame rearwardly yieldingly, a spring N, located in the case D, is interposed between the front end of the case D and the bolt I. To retain this spring movably in place and to connect the parts together adj ustably and more perfectly, the bolts I and I are connected together by a rod formed in two parts P and P, theparts of which are connected together medially adj ustably by a screw-thread. The parts of this rod are at their outer extremities provided, respectively, with eyes or sleeves R B, through which the bolts I and I are passed and on which the parts of the rod have a lateral swinging movement. The part P is provided with a rigid diskS immediately in front of the bolt I, which serves as a bearing for the spring N. The part P passes movably 'through the front end of the case D.

In putting the device together and adj usting its parts properly the spring N is inserted in the case D through the slot M, which is of sufficient width therefor, and is placed around the part P, the bolt I being secured in position, and thereupon the part P is inserted through the front end of the case D and is turned into the part P until the sleeve R is brought to the proper place to receive therethrough the bolt I, and then the evener is placed in position and the bolts 1 and I" are put in and the whole device is secured to the vehicle by the bolts E.

ICO

from the shock that would otherwise be received by such extraordinary strain. I here my device is used with a single animal the whifiiietre'e or singletree takes the place of the evener, as shown in the drawings. \Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A whiftletree attachment comprising a permanent frame consisting of a plate 0 and a housing or case I), secured to and shorter than the plate,in combination with a movable frame projecting partially in front of the housing and consisting of a plate F, supported on the plate 0 in ways G, a strap II, supported on the case D, bolts I, I, and I, securing the plate and strap rigidly to each other, studs K and K, formed opposite each other on the plate F and strap II, respectively, and pierced by the bolt I, on which studs the evener is pivoted, and a spring in the case interposed between the permanent frame and the movable frame, substantially as described.

2. In a whiflietree attachment, the combination, with a permanent frame consisting of a plate and a case rigid thereon, of a movable frame projecting partially in front of the permanent case and consisting of a plate traveling in ways therefor in the permanent frame, a strap bearing against the case of the permanent frame and secured rigidly to the movable plate by bolts, an evener pivoted in the front end of the movable frame, a spring in the case interposed between the permanent frame and the movable frame, and a connecting-rod formed in two parts united together adj ustably by screw-threads and terminating in heads or sleeves, through which the bolts connecting the strap and plate of the movable frame together pass movably, which rod is adapted to retain the spring in place while connecting the parts of the frame together adjustably, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FERDINAND J. BLANKE.

Witnesses:

O. T. BENEDICT, ANNA V. FAUST. 

